Exactly two weeks post-earthquake, and despite the many updates we?ve issued, AAOS members are still asking and being asked, ?So what exactly has AAOS been doing??

Based on news reports of on-the-ground chaos and disorganization, a lack of coordination among medical teams, and an appalling lack of medical and surgical supplies, questions about what the AAOS is doing to facilitate aid relief and patient care in this most devastated of nations may be understandable. However, be assured that the AAOS, its staff, and its members have been hard at working to lend aid and succor to the Haitian people. Bearing in mind that the AAOS is not a disaster relief organization, we can be extremely proud of the efforts of our organization. You also should know that the AAOS intends to be in this game for the long-haul. Our response has been immediate, our commitment will be long-term. Here is a summary and answers to some of the most frequent questions we?ve been asked.

Incident Response and Command Center

As soon as news of the earthquake hit the wires, your leadership and the AAOS international department staff immediately responded by establishing a ?command central,? knowing that the need would be great and the demands on orthopaedic resources would be intense.

Within 48 hours, the AAOS had contacted dozens of aid agencies to determine their needs for volunteers and provided all of our members with information about how to register to serve. We also began to try to place volunteers with the disaster relief organizations. Our office of government relations used its contacts to get information and direction from government agencies and to facilitate clearance for medical volunteers and supplies.

As we received calls for aid, we used our contacts to begin channeling much-needed surgical equipment, medical supplies, and donations into the agencies best equipped to handle materiel procurement and disbursement. Virtually thousands of e-mails and hundreds of calls were received and answered, in most cases, within 24?36 hours. We continue to communicate and coordinate with orthopaedic specialty societies, many of whom responded in a similar manner. So the orthopaedic family is truly pulling its weight to make things happen on the ground, prepare our members for deployment, and line up more volunteers to take their turns.

How many AAOS members have been recruited? How many are in Haiti right now?

To date, more than 600 Fellows and Members have volunteered through the AAOS to serve in Haiti. Many more have volunteered through their own hospitals, institutions, or favored medical aid charities. We know that more than 154 Academy Fellows have been deployed and are currently providing care in Haiti, and we know that these numbers are understated, because we cannot track all Fellows who have volunteered privately. The actual orthopaedic response may be much higher.

More than 30 medical aid and disaster relief organizations are on the ground in Haiti, and almost all of them are working with orthopaedic surgeons.

What about airlifting patients from Haiti to the United States for care?

The AAOS is working with all the appropriate governmental agencies to determine what terms and conditions for transfer to the United States (or other geographic locations) will be. We understand the need to effect more immediate care while facilities and care options in Haiti are so limited and lacking in every resource imaginable.

At the same time, we have heard from many members and their hospitals, which are willing to provide beds and service to injured Haitians. When the ?go? clearance is given, we are prepared to respond.